Cameras are often deployed in remote locations for a variety of applications such as, for example, thermal imaging, photography, and other uses. Various techniques have been developed for controlling cameras situated in remote locations.
For example, in one approach, existing camera communication techniques may be used to provide various commands to cameras and related components. Unfortunately, existing camera communication techniques often have limited flexibility which reduces their usefulness. In particular, such techniques typically provide only a single level of device communication. In this regard, a single protocol interpreter (e.g., such as an adapter board connected to a camera) is required to interpret all commands of a protocol and provide appropriate signaling to the camera or related components for executing such commands.
In practice, this approach is often cumbersome to implement. For example, if a camera is upgraded to support new features, software and/or hardware of the protocol interpreter must be upgraded to support commands used to control the new features. Similarly, if new components are added to a camera system, the protocol interpreter must also be upgraded to support the control of the new components. Thus, there is a need for an improved approach that flexibly supports the control of remote cameras and related components.